Writing-tablet



(No Model.)

J. T. F. MAGDONNBLL. WRITING TABLET.

N0. 437,399. Pvented Sept BO, 1-890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- JOHN T. F. MACDONNELL, OF HOLYOKE,MASSACHUSETTS.

WRITING-TAB LET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,399, datedSeptember 30, 1890. Application filed June 21, 1889. Serial No. 315,034.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. F. MACDON- I NELL, of Holyoke, in the countyof Hampden folded sheets of paper instead of from single or half-sheets,as has been customary, thereby adapting the tablet for use by personswho prefer using a whole sheet to a half-sheet for letter-writing andother purposes, besides enabling the finer grades of letter and notepapers to be put up in tablet form.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a writing-tablet havingconnected therewith means for holding a package of envelopes inconvenient position for use, and without the use of a box for holdingsaid envelopes, which would require to be opened and shut each time anenvelope is needed.

To these ends my invention consists in the papeterie tabletconstructedas hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are designated by likeletters in the several figures, Figure 1 is a plan view of the tablet asthe same is folded when not in use. Fig. 2is a side or edge View of thesame. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the tablet in positionfor use. Fig. 4 is a side view thereof. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustratediferent positions of the tablet, as herein after described.

It is a well-known fact that the use of paper put up in tablet form hasheretofore been limited, for the reason that such tablets have beencomposed of single or half-sheets of paper, with a binding-stripextending along one or two sides thereof, whereas many persons,particularly for correspondence purposes, prefer to use a folded sheetof paper that is to say, a sheet folded vertically into two leaves, suchas the ordinary sheet of note paper. Such persons have been compelled tokeep their supply of paper in loose form, "whereby much of it becomessoiled before it is wanted for use, and are put to much inconvenience inthe use of the loose sheets to securely hold them in a proper position'to enable them to be written upon easily. With a View to meeting thisdemand I have devised the tablet shown in thedrawings, in which- I Theletter a designates a stiff back or base, preferably composed ofpaper-board, and b a series of sheets of paper, each of which is foldedto form two leaves, like the ordinary sheets of note-paper. Said foldedsheets of paper are subjected to heavy pressure, being superposed uponthe back a, and abinding-strip is then secured by means of adhesivematerial along the edge of said sheets at the foldline thereof, and tosaid back a, said bindingstrip being designated by the letter 0. Atablet is thus formed with the folded sheets of paper lying in theirnatural position for use. The edges of the sheets being entirely free,the uppermostleaf thereof can be turned to the left to expose the secondand third pages of the sheet as conveniently as if the sheets wereloose, and to facilitate such turning of the uppermost leaves I cut awaythe lower right-hand corner of said leaves, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3,and thereby obviate the liability of grasping both leaves of the sheetwhen it is desired to turn over the upper one simply. V The sheets canbe readily detached from the tablet by either grasping both leaves ofthe sheet or the lower one merely, and reds fore no annoyance from thissource is caused. I

The back and the underlying sheets of paper form a solid foundation forthe uppermost sheet, and said sheet is rigidlyheld in its position, sothat writing upon said sheet is rendered easy and agreeable.

It is very. desirable that means for holding a package of envelopes becombined with a writing-tablet, to the end that envelopes and paper maybe kept together in a convenient position for use. Tablets havetherefore been devised having connected therewith a box of the propersize and shape to receive-apackage of envelopes; but such aconstruction, besides materially adding to the bulkiness of the tablet,renders it necessary to open the box each time an envelope is required,to remove one of the envelopes, and then to again close the box, all ofwhich consumes time. To secure this result and at the same time avoidthe inconvenience incident to the use of .a box for holding theenvelopes, I connect to the back a of the tablet loops composed of tapesor similar material, and preferably made elastic for surrounding andholding a package or any desired number of envelopes. I have hereinshown said tapes in connection with an independent bottom piece d, ofsubstantially the size and shape of the envelopes, which it is desiredto use with the paper forming the tablet, and have shown three tapes, ofwhich two, designated by the letters 6 e, are secured at one end to oneend of the back a, and, extending transversely across the bottom piece,near each end of the latter, have their opposite ends secured to saidbottom piece at the side of the latter farthest away from back a whenthe bottom piece occupies the position shown in Fig. 3. The third tape 6is secured at one end to back a near the center of the latter, and atits opposite end to bottom piece d, at the side of the latter nearest toback a and midway between its ends, as shown in Fig. 5. The envelopes fbeing inserted beneath the tapes e upon bottom piece 01, it follows fromthe described arran gement of the tapes that said envelopes and bottompiece can be folded over upon the paper composing the tablet, as shownin Fig. 1, thus bringing the bottom piece uppermost, where it preservesthe envelopes from being soiled or injured at all times, except when thetablet is actually in use. It follows, furthermore, that said envelopesand bottom piece can be folded from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which position the tablet is readyfor use, and the envelopes, with their address side uppermost, are in aconvenient position to be directed without removing the one written uponfrom beneath tapes 6; or, if preferred, it can be readily removed beforewriting the address thereon. Again, by turning over to the left all ofthe sheets of paper composing the tablet, as shown in Fig. 5, theenvelopes and bottom piece can be folded from the position shown in saidfigure to that shown in Fig. 6, and then to that shown in Fig. 7, inwhich the envelopes lie with their address side uppermost and are heldby the tape 6' simply in a still more convenient position for writingthereon than when in the position shown in Fig. 3.

By making the tapes elastic they will hold a single envelope as securelyas an entire package.

It will be observed that when the envelopes occupy the position shown inFigs. 1 and 2 they do not materially increase the'size :of the tablet,thus permittingthe latter to occupya very small space upon a desk or ina traveling trunk or bag.

The tablet thus constructed can be made and sold at a considerably lesscost than would be possible if a box 1" or holding tlfe envelopes wereemployed.

While I prefer to arrange the holding-tapes as herein shown, I do notwish to limit myself to such arrangement, as it is obvious that manyvariations thereof can be made within the spirit of my invention. Forexample, the back a of the tablet could be extended a sufficientdistance above the top of the sheets of paper to receive thereon thepackage of envelopes, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 7, and twotapes could be employed to hold the envelopes thereon; but as saidextension would be incapable of being folded to reduce the size of thetablet when not in use the first-described construction is much to bepreferred. By clipping the corners of the uppermost leaf of each sheetof paper I not only facilitate turning over said upper leaf, aspreviously described, but I thereby greatly facilitate detaching thesheets of paper from the tablet, as the user will always know that thenext leaf below one of said clipped leaves will be the bottom leaf of asheet, and the necessity of using care to avoid tearing off more than asingle sheet is thereby avoided.

By the term tablet, as hereinused,I wish to be understood as includingnot only such writing-tablets as are usually provided with a coveringand blotting-leaf in front of. the paper, but also such tablets or padsas are without such covering-leaf, as my invention is equally applicableto either form.

The tablet herein described, besides including both paper and envelopesin a compact form, is neat and attractive in appearance, and is adaptedfor use in connection withall of the finer grades of paper.

Particular attention is called to the fact that by employing tapes tohold the envelopes the edges of the envelopes are kept enposed of sheetsof writing-paper independ- 'ently folded into leaves and connected: to-

gether by a binding-strip secured to one or more edges thereof,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The writing-tablet herein described, consisting of a back havingsuperposed thereon sheets of writing-paper separately folded intoleaves, said back being provided with one or more tapes for receivingand holding envelopes, substantially as described.

3. The writing-tablet herein described, consisting of a rigid back andsheets of paper superposed upon said back, said back being provided atone end thereof with one or more loops of flexible material forreceiving and holding envelopes, substantially as set forth, wherebysaidloop's and the envelopes held therein can be folded over upon saidback and superposed sheets of paper when the latter are not in use.

4. A writing-tablet consisting of a 'rigid back and sheets of papersuperposed upon said back and connected therewith by means of abinding-strip extending along the edge thereof, a bottom piece forsupporting a package of envelopes, means for detachably securing saidenvelopes to said bottom piece, and a flexible or hinge connectionbetween said bottom piece and the back of the tablet, substantially asset forth.

5. The writing-tablet herein described, consisting of a rigid back, aseries of sheets of paper folded into two leaves and superposed uponsaid back, a bottom piece of the proper size and shape to hold apackageof envelopes, and tapes connecting both sides of said bottom piece tosaid back, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a writing-tablet, the combination,with back 01,, of bottom piecef, tapes 6 e, secured at one end to said back at or near one end of thelatter and at their opposite end to one side of said bottom piece, andtape 6', secured at one end to theopposite side of said bottom piece andat its opposite end to said back at or near the center of the latter,substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN T. F. MACDONNELL.

Witnesses:

W. H. CHAPMAN, M. A. BUsBY.

